In Loving Memory
Eleanor Dahl
March, 1931 - June, 2019
Eleanor Carman Dahl, professional editor, library data coordinator, and professional weaver, died on June 12, 2019, in Emeryville, California.
She was born in Quogue, New York, on March 31, 1931, and grew up in on eastern Long Island. Eleanor met her husband Per F. Dahl, who died in 2011, at Brookhaven National Lab in 1963 where she was the executive secretary in the Reactor Systems Division, Department of Nuclear Energy. In this position she learned inputting and editing scientific documents for BNL. Later she edited all her husband’s books for publishing.
Eleanor began weaving in 1972 in Norway, and she studied both weaving and the history of weaving. She was especially interested in Scandinavian weaving, including the Krokbragd technique, which she taught and gave demonstrations on at museums, historical societies, and elsewhere.
Her love of language, music, and science continued from childhood until she died. Eleanor was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and early in her life she was a member of the East Quogue Methodist Church, a Sunday School teacher, and a member of the high school church choir. Her love of music began when her mother taught her to play the piano, which she continued to play for many years. She enjoyed sewing and knitting, as well as weaving. Through her husband she developed a fond connection with Norway and Scandinavia, and she learned Norwegian in order to help Per translate documents for his book projects.
Eleanor attended Suffolk County Community and Dowling Colleges, and early in life worked at a number of jobs on Long Island, including at the Cornell University Agricultural Extension Department in Suffolk County, and at a duck research laboratory.
She was an active member of the many communities where she lived and worked, including at Brookhaven National Lab, where she acted in several theater productions and was Chair of the Brookhaven Lab Art Committee. She also served as a volunteer tour guide at Brookhaven, and as coordinator of the Ladies Programs for scientific conferences. Later she served on numerous committees and boards at the University of California Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, and the Superconducting Super Collider project in Texas. In Emeryville, she was a beloved and vibrant member of the Watergate community, including participating in a music group, and of the Ashby Village.
Eleanor was recognized in Who’s Who in International Sketches and in Who’s Who in American Women.
She and her husband enjoyed traveling, attending academic conferences throughout the United States, in Europe, and in Japan, and traveling for pleasure throughout the world, including to Scandinavia and the Arctic, Argentina and the Antarctic, and in numerous countries throughout Europe.
Mrs. Dahl is survived by her two step-sons, Erik J. Dahl and Thomas F. Dahl, and four nieces and nephews: Victoria A. Kirkpatrick, Winston C. Dunwell, Michael L. Dunwell, and Nancy H. Miller. She is also survived by two grandchildren, one great grandchild, and five grand nieces and nephews.
Mrs. Dahl was cremated and a private memorial reception will be held on August 25, 2019. Donations can be made to Ashby Village, Berkeley, California, St. Jude’s, or a charity of your choice in the sciences.